Project Detail

Malcolm is a Little Unwell

Synopsis

'Unwell' chronicles the descent into madness of award-winning BBC foreign correspondent Malcolm Brabant after he receives a routine yellow fever vaccine required for an assignment in Africa.
After enduring a near fatal fever, he begins hallucinating and starts to believe he is the new Messiah. During this Jesus complex, he believes he is being directed by the ghosts of dead friends who, like him, covered the siege of Sarajevo. The psychosis disappears after six weeks, but Brabant suffers several relapses. The most significant one is captured on camera by Brabant himself as he is convinced the Second Coming has to be on television.
This unique footage is supplemented by video diaries recorded by Brabant's Danish wife Trine Villemann, in order to document his transformation. Brabant's condition deteriorates and he spends months locked up in secure wards.
The film is a paean to love and family bonds and contains an unexpected Hollywood ending.

Details

Year
2018
Type of project
Features
Running time
78 mins
Format
Digital
Director
Malcolm Brabant, Trine Villeman 1st Feature
Producer
Trine Villemann
Editor
Malcolm Brabant
Screenwriter
Malcolm Brabant
Director of Photography
Malcolm Brabant
Sound
Peter Emmerson
Composer
Red Fog, Lukas Brabant
Principal cast
Malcolm Brabant, Trine Villemann, Lukas Brabant, Allan Little, David Willey, Thomas Middleboe, Diana Christensen, Lauri Ann Robertson.
Image 1 Notes
Brabant filmed himself during a relapse back into insanity. He believed the Second Coming had to be on television. This footage of this veteran foreign correspondent having a major meltdown is unique and gives a rare insight into mental illness.
Image 1 Notes
Malcolm Brabant in the woods next to a psychiatric hospital in Denmark on New Year's Eve 2011. On this day, he attempted to hang himself in his hospital room after voices in his head told him the world was going to end at the stroke of midnight, unless he committed suicide.

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Brabant Productions

Malcolm Brabant

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean

Director: Barnaby Thompson

Year: 2026

An in-depth study of David Lean, the man and his films. David Lean was one of the greatest filmmakers. He redefined what films could be, but his singular vision and tenacious determination to film the impossible earned him a reputation as an obsessive maverick. He was a master of his craft, capable of creating love and beauty on screen, but whose personal life was often troubled, uprooted, and painful. Featuring interviews with contemporary filmmakers including Wes Anderson, Paul Greengrass, Alfonso Cuarón, Celine Song, Brady Corbet, Francis Ford Coppola, Denis Villeneuve, Nia DaCosta, and Joe Wright. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Cannes Classics - World premiere

We, The Hated We, The Hated

Director: Rich Felgate

Year: 2026

Told through the lives and motivations of those on the frontline, WE, THE HATED turns its camera on the people behind one of the most polarising protest movements in recent memory. What emerges goes deeper than placards and road blocks: these are individuals who have weighed up the personal consequences of action against the existential stakes of inaction. With fossil fuels driving both the climate crisis and global conflict, and governments increasingly cracking down on dissent, the film raises urgent questions about protest, power and what democracy actually means in practice. Director Rich Felgate, who is in a relationship with Just Stop Oil's founder, brings an insider closeness to the story whilst retaining enough balance to speak to audiences well beyond the already converted. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - World premiere

Feast or Famine Feast or Famine

Director: Adrian Choa, Michael Boccalini

Year: 2026

There is a certain air of mystery around the famed Michelin stars sparsely given to the world’s best restaurants and chefs. Few people can explain the system as well as legendary chef Marco Pierre White, the first Brit to earn three of them - and the first to famously give them all back. This documentary lifts the heavy curtain of secrecy that surrounds high-end dining, with White demystifying the Michelin myth while the highly-regarded team behind East London’s buzzy Angelina restaurant chases their first ever coveted star. Official Selection SXSW London 2026 - World premiere